Magic of Bonds
by emgoalie
Summary: What would happen if there were twins and Voldemort ducked in time? What if they chose the wrong boy who loved? What would this change? James and Lily Bashing. Good Dumbledore. I OWN NOTHING. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO J.K. ROWLINGS.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Voldemort walked up to the gate and smirked, _fools_ he thought, trusting a rat. He didn't believe the prophecy of course, but he couldn't take the chance that others would and use it against him. He knocked on the door and was answered by a rat faced, short, balding man. _Peter Petigrew_, Voldemort thought in disgust.

"The Potters, where are they?" He asked in a cold voice.

"The children are in the nursery and the parents are at an order meeting." Petigrew answered in a squeaky voice. Voldemort pushed past him and walked up the stairs to the nursery. He walked into the nursery and looked at the two boys. _Which to kill first, _he wondered. He looked at the two boys. One of them had shaggy, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He was the spitting image of his father and his crib named him Cadmon James Potter. However, it was the other boy whose name was Harry Sirius Potter that caught and held his attention. He was very delicate looking, already on the slender side. He had black hair but it was his eyes that caught Voldemort's attention. They were a bright green, the same color as the killing curse. However, it wasn't the color that really caught his attention. It was the intelligence in his eyes that caught and held him. This, he decided was the child of the prophecy.

Voldemort raised his wand then stopped, something told him to stop, he decided to ignore it. He raised his wand, _Avada Kedavra_, he shouted. The curse left his wand and he watched it go towards the child when a golden shield popped up around the child and it deflected the curse back at him. He dodged out of the way just in time. As he ducked he felt a searing heat over his heart. He decided to leave and rethink his plan and escape before the parents came back. He left without realizing that the curse was still bouncing around destroying the nursery. A piece of ceiling fell and scratched Cadmon on the cheek twice creating an equal sign.

The Potters were at an Order meeting when the alarm went off. They looked at each other than at Dumbledore. "Pettigrew snitched," James shouted as he and Lilly apparated away. They arrived at the house and saw the nursery. They ran upstairs. They heard crying and uncovered Charles, then realized they were missing a child. They looked around and saw Harry in the arms of his godfather, Sirius, who had followed them. Dumbledore arrived and looked around in shock. He looked at James, "You were right. Pettigrew told Voldemort. How are both boys still alive?"

"One of them must have stopped him. Can you tell which one?" James asked. Dumbledore took out his wand and cast several diagnostic spells. "I believe it is Charles. He has the equal sign and the prophecy said that Voldemort would mark him as his equal. The only way he would have managed to stop him would have been to defeat him. This means Voldemort is gone. Also, Harry's core is very low. He may turn out to be a squib, though everything considering he may just be exhausted, and it is still too early to tell." Of course no one noticed the mark over Harry's heart. If they had things might have turned out differently. James and Lilly looked at each other in chock. No Potter had ever birthed a squib. Dumbledore nodded at them and left. He had to alert the ministry and the media. Sirius kissed Harry and handed him to his parents. He then explained that he was going to go after Pettigrew and would be back in a couple of days and left. Lilly and James looked at each other and decided to rid themselves of the squib. They would leave him at the Dursleys. "I would disown him, but I can't as the family magic didn't accept me as head of the family. We will have to wait till Charles is old enough to inherit," James snarled. Lilly nodded in agreement. They took Harry and left him on the Dursley's front step with a letter in explanation. If they could have seen the consequences of their decision they would have not left him there.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Ten Years later**

Dumbledore was going through the list of students for the new school year. _Draco Malfoy_, his father was Voldemort's right hand man though he escaped going to Azkaban. Then further down the list was _Cadmon Potter,_ the boy who lived, then… he looked twice to make sure he read it correctly… _Harry Potter_ was on his list. Dumbledore smiled hugely in relief. He was so relieved that the boy had not turned out to be squib. He had never been more furious than when he found out that the Potters had abandoned their child. Family was everything to Dumbledore and he had told them that Harry's core could have been exhausted or possibly a late bloomer. Sirius had offered to take Harry but James refused to tell them exactly where they had left him, only that they left him with Lily's muggle sister. Dumbledore knew that Petunia hated magic and so was very concerned. He decided to send Severus to go get the boy and ask Sirius to go with him.

After James had abandoned Harry, their friendship had broken. Sirius was furious with James, even his dark family would never do that. Children were too precious given that most pureblood families couldn't have more than one. The wizarding considered children to be off limits. Even Voldemort had never gone after children until the prophecy. This was true especially given that it was very unlikely he was a squib. The decision had also broken the recently healed friendship between Severus and Lily. Remus hadn't completely broken away but more because Cadmon was his godson. The only good thing that came out of the whole affair was the friendship that had popped up between Severus and Sirius. They had finally healed their relationship from school and had become lovers in the last several years. With everything that had happened he was beginning to reconsider the war. He was no longer sure who was good and who was bad. He called Severus and asked him to bring Sirius. Dumbledore sat tiredly behind his desk. He felt so old and tired. He was not long for this world. His soul mate had died when he rejected and then defeated him, but he missed him so much and really didn't want to live without Gellert anymore. He knew he had to hold on a bit longer. Severus and Sirius walked in.

He looked at them, "I have Harry's address." Sirius stared at him and even Severus was in shock. "He is on the list to come to Hogwarts. I was hoping that both of you would go take him his letter and take him to Diagon Alley."

Sirius smiled blindingly at Dumbledore. They immediately agreed and he handed them the letter. Before they could leave he spoke up, "I want you to take very good care with the boy and pay close attention to his living conditions. I fear he was raised poorly." They nodded and left.

Harry Potter woke up not knowing that his whole life would change. He was in so much pain. Uncle Vernon had been horrible last night, like he always was on the eve of Harry's birthday. He was also usually pretty bad on Halloween but he really seemed to hate that Harry had survived another year. Harry's back had been shredded and he was pretty sure his ribs were broken. At the very least bruised. He dragged himself up and out of the cupboard. He was about to start on breakfast when the doorbell rang. "Boy," yelled Uncle Vernon, "Answer the door."

Harry opened the door. On the doorstep were two men. One was dressed in all black. The black dress shirt clung to his muscular frame. He was tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He had soft black hair that was straight and just brushed his shoulders. He had black eyes that were blank as was his face. The other man was wearing a gray dress shirt that clung to him. He was leaner the other man but very muscled. His eyes were a purplish grey and he had long black hair that was held back in a low pony tail. Harry stared at the men in shock. They smiled at him and he shyly smiled back. Uncle Vernon waddled up. He grabbed Harry roughly and threw him against the wall. He then turned to the two men.

"We aren't interested." He then went to close the door but found himself stopped by the man in all black.

"We are from Hogwarts and we aren't leaving without the boy," Severus snarled.

Vernon paled, "You are mistaken there are none of your freak here."

Sirius growled and pulled out his wand, "Get out of our way. Harry is coming with us and is not coming back."

Vernon paled even more then turned and waddled away. Sirius smiled and turned to Harry, "Grab your things, we are leaving." Harry looked nervous but nodded. He went to the cupboard under the stairs and came out holding a necklace. That was it. The men growled, both because of the cupboard and because of the lack of belongings. They each grabbed a hand and lead him outside.

"Let's go," Sirius said, "I want to take him to Poppy before anything else."

"Wait," Harry said, "I have to say good-bye to Meredith. She made me promise to come see her before I left."

"Pup," Sirius asked, "how does she know?"

"She always knows when something is going to happen. I don't want to leave her. Her family is worse than mine." Severus and Sirius looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. _Looks like we are bringing two children back. _"Lead on Pup." Harry nodded and led them down the street. He stopped outside a house and his face took on a faraway look. Before they could ask a tiny girl slipped out of the house. She had a patchwork skirt on and a baggy shirt that slipped off one shoulder. She was stunning though. She was pale with long, dark brown hair, and startling sapphire blue eyes. She was even smaller than Harry who was already pretty small. They honestly looked like they could be twins except for their eyes. Sirius cleared his throat and two pairs of eyes looked up at him.

"You have magic?" He asked. She nodded shyly. "Does your family abuse you?" She nodded again.

Severus sighed, "Alright, we are taking you both to Hogwarts."

The children smiled blindingly and hugged him. They each picked up a child and placed them on a hip. Both children were too light by half. They turned and apparated away. Severus led the way up to Hogwarts and up to Hospital Wing as quickly as possible. They laid the children on separate beds. Poppy and stopped abruptly. Harry jumped up and moved in front of Meredith protectively. She smiled at him and put her hand on his shoulder. The adults were shocked at how close the children were. They seemed to be speaking though nothing could be heard. Harry relaxed, but climbed on the bed and curled around her protectively. Poppy was in shock, she looked at the men and raised her eyebrows.

"Who are these children, Severus?"

"This is Harry Potter and his friend Meredith."

"Sirius," Poppy said quickly, "go get Professor Dumbledore, please." Sirius nodded and left swiftly. Severus raised an eyebrow. Poppy smiled, "I want to do the diagnostics without him as I am going to guess that it isn't going to be pretty." Severus nodded in agreement.

Poppy turned to the children and smiled reassuringly, "Harry, would mind laying on the other bed so I can check you both and heal you."

Harry hesitated but at a touch from Meredith, nodded. He uncurled himself and got on the second bed. Poppy walked over to him first and the diagnostic spells. Parchment formed with writing on it. It was so long. Severus raised his eyebrows in shock. No child should have it that long. Poppy sighed then turned to Meredith. Her parchment was even longer. The minute Poppy was done, Harry crawled back on Meredith's bed and curled around her. Severus brushed his hand over both of their heads.

Dumbledore walked in with Sirius right behind him. He looked at Poppy. "How are they?" She sighed, "They are both extremely malnourished. Both have broken a majority of their bones at least once. They both need skelegrow for the night. I closed any cuts. Harry's back was shredded but should be ok now. They will also need nutrient potions for a long time. However, there is good news. They both have extremely strong cores. They are the strongest cores I have ever seen. Also, it appears as if their magic created a bond. They can talk telepathically and Harry, especially is very protective."

Dumbledore sighed, "He can't go back. Sirius will you take him?"

"Of course!"

"Do either of you know who her parents were?" The men shook their heads. Dumbledore turned to Meredith, "Would you tell me your name, little one?" She smiled at him, "Meredith Amia Ambrosius," she said in a lilting voice. Severus's eyebrows shot up. Dumbledore looked at him in question.

"She is Lucius's goddaughter. He has been searching for her for ten years. Her parents were murdered at the end of the war and she disappeared."

Dumbledore looked confused, "Weren't they neutral?"

"Yes," Severus answered, "Her mother was a druid and followed a life of nonviolence except in self-defense." Dumbledore nodded, "We should inform him."

Severus agreed, "I will go get him." Severus left for a few minutes before returning with all three Malfoys. Lucius and Narcissa nodded at the other three. Lucius looked at Dumbledore, "What are we going to do?"

"I want Harry to live with me," Sirius said and Severus nodded in agreement.

"Well I want Meredith to live with me. She is my goddaughter," Lucius said. They looked to be at the point of agreeing when Poppy interrupted.

"They need to stay together. They are going to need to be able to share a bed. I have never seen a sibling bond this strong except for twins. Lucius, just so you know, they can communicate telepathically and Harry is very protective of Meredith. I would guess that when she starts getting more comfortable she will become protective of Harry. They are also going to need potions on a regular basis for a while and they may need to see a mind healer though that can wait."

"What would you recommend then?" Dumbledore asked.

"They should live with Sirius because Severus is there. Plus they have no other children to worry about." Severus and Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely not! I haven't been there for her in ten years. No more, I will take care of her from now on." They started arguing, neither Sirius nor Lucius wanted to give in. Dumbledore sighed, then cleared his throat. They stopped and looked at him.

"Sirius and Severus will take both children," he raised his hand to prevent argument, "Lucius is to have complete access to Meredith and there will be a playdate once a week for her to meet Draco. Harry is encouraged to go as well." The three men looked at each other and nodded. Lucius looked at them, "We should take them to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies as well as have an inheritance test done."

"You should get supplies and tests for both." Lucius looked confused. Dumbledore smiled, "I know she won't be eleven till the end of October but I think they should go and after glancing at her school records quickly. I think she can handle it." They all nodded and smiled in relief. Lucius nodded at his wife who had been keeping the children calm, "Let's go. We will be back in the morning." They left after nodding to the adults and grabbing Draco who had been sitting down playing with his stuffed dragon. The men left to talk in Dumbledore's office and Poppy went into the office. Harry hugged Meredith close as they fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was early morning when Severus was awoken by Poppy in his fireplace. He got up slowly so as to not wake up Sirius. He walked over and smiled at Poppy.

"Severus, I need some nutritional potions for the children." He nodded and left to grab some and then came back. "Will they be good to go shopping today?"

"Yes," she answered kindly, "They need to eat but then they should be good to go. Take it easy though, they will be easily tired." He nodded again and she left. He called for a cup of tea, then sat down and sighed. He was still furious with everything that had happened. He was angry at James and Lily. He also wanted to kill the muggles that did this. Especially Lily's sister as she knew about magic. It was almost as if they were trying to stamp out the magic. He was also very nervous about raising the children, he had come to love them already. He remembered the talk with Dumbledore last night. He had never seen the man so furious. Children were important to Dumbledore, that was why he was the Headmaster of a school. To see two children so abused made me beyond furious. He had destroyed part of his office in a rage and his eyes had lost all of the twinkle that was usually present. They had discussed what to do after Dumbledore finally calmed down. James had wanted to teach Defense against the Dark Arts but Dumbledore asked Sirius to instead. He didn't want James in the castle every day. Sirius had agreed for two reasons. One was because he could be there for Harry and Meredith and two, so that he and Severus could live together. Dumbledore also suggested that both children get emancipated. They would still take care of them but it would prevent others from interfering.

Severus was called back to the present by his lover's voice calling for coffee. Sirius walked in looking tired. "Tired love?" Severus asked. Sirius nodded, "I couldn't sleep. I ended up going and sitting by their bed for a while. Finally came down and fell asleep, maybe three in the morning." Severus nodded and was about to say something when the floo went off. The flames settled down and out stepped Lucius Malfoy. He brushed the soot off and smiled at them. "I brought clothing from Draco and Narcissa that we can shrink for them, just till we can get them new wardrobes."

Severus smiled thankfully. "We should also get them emancipated, like Dumbledore suggested so Potter can't interfere." Lucius agreed and all three men went up to the Hospital Wing.

When they arrived at the hospital wing they walked in and stopped abruptly at the sight. Harry and Meredith were cuddled on the bed feeding each other the last bits of breakfast. It was adorable. The men walked in as the children finished. Lucius called Poppy, "Can you take this bag and help Meredith. They will need to be shrunk." Poppy nodded and lifted Meredith down, grabbed her hand, and pulled her away. Harry watched them leave looking worried. She turned back and something passed between them. He relaxed and turned to the men. Lucius held out the bag for Harry to take. He stripped and the adults were horrified by the scars. They were however, intrigued by a tattoo over his heart. It was a Celtic knot surrounded by a snake. Harry got dressed in boxers, black pants, and an emerald shirt. Then Lucius shrunk them and helped him into the black robe and shrunk it. Meredith walked in a moment later. She was beautiful. She wore a peasant skirt that was a dark blue and a silver blouse with a silk robe in royal blue over it. Harry rushed over and hugged her. He seemed to be asking her if she was ok. She nodded and they approached the men. Meredith walked up to Lucius. She grabbed a length of his blond hair. "Uncle Lucy," she squealed. He picked her up and placed her on his hip. He was thrilled she remembered him. Harry walked over to them and stood close. He seemed to be scared of losing her. Lucius smiled down at Harry. "You can call me Uncle Lucius if you like." Harry smiled blindingly at him and gave him a hug. Sirius smiled at the picture they made. "You both can call us Uncle Sirius and Uncle Severus if you want." Harry smiled, "Padfoot." That made Sirius smile. Lucius cleared his throat, "Narcissa and Draco are meeting us at the Leaky Cauldron so we should get going." The other two men agreed and Sirius picked up Harry.

The men walked to the fireplace and flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. They walked out of the floo and looked around. They found Narcissa and walked over. Sirius and Lucius set the children down and introduced them to Draco. It became immediately apparent that Draco was drawn to both. He seemed to feel very protective of them. The adults then grabbed the children's' hands and led them to the back. Severus pulled out his wand, as he didn't have hold of a child and tapped on the bricks to open the Barrier. Harry and Meredith's looks of awe made the adults chuckle. They lead the children to Gringotts.

Harry and Meredith were surprised by the goblins and looked around at everything as they walked up to a teller. Lucius cleared his throat. "We wish to have inheritance tests as well as emancipations done for Harry Potter and Meredith Ambrosius. We also need to take out money from our vaults." The teller looked up and then looked at the children. He smiled at them and they shyly smiled back. The goblin called another goblin and spoke quickly in gobbledegook. He then turned and looked the group. "Griphook will take you to Director Ragnok." The adults were surprised but nodded. They followed Griphook to a set of large double doors. He knocked on the door and was summoned in. He opened the door and gestured them inside. Ragnok gestured at them to sit, then smile at them.

"We have been expecting you and have everything you need all set. I need a drop of blood from each of the children in to two bowls each." Meredith and Harry looked nervous. Meredith nodded and walked up to the desk. She held out her hand. Ragnok poked her finger and added a drop of blood to each of the two bowls. They both held a liquid mixture. One held a quill that glowed when the blood was placed in the mixture, which was then placed on a piece of parchment that started writing. The other bowl started glowing and rings appeared. The process was then repeated with Harry. Ragnok grabbed both papers. He then read Meredith's first.

**Meredith Amia Ambrosius**

_Father: _Cypress Ambrosius

_Mother:_ Chrysanthe Ambrosius nee Fulmen

_Magical Guardian:_ Lucius Malfoy

_Inheritances:_

Lady Ambrosius (Father)

Lady Ravenclaw (Father)

Lady LeFay (Mother)

Lady Emrys (Magical)

_Vaults:_ 690, 480, 221, 120, 1, 3,

_Worth:_ 10,141,990 galleons, 50,000,000 pounds

_Properties:_

Ambrosius Castle

Moonlight Cottage

¼ Hogwarts

Raven Castle

Isle of the Blessed

Avalon

Dragon Keep

_Soul mates:_

William Weasley

Charles Weasley

Frederick Weasley

Georgicus Weasley

The adults were stunned. Ragnok then read Harry's.

**Harold Sirius Potter**

_Father:_ James Potter

_Mother:_ Lilly Potter nee Evans

_Magical Guardian:_ Sirius Black

_Inheritances:_

Lord Potter

Lord Shafiq

Heir Black

Lord Peverell

Lord Gryffindor

Lord Pendragon

_Vaults:_ 730, 711, 687, 520, 420, 320, 220, 130, 2

_Worth:_ 20,283,980 galleons, 100,000,000 pounds

_Properties:_

Potter's cottage

Lion's den

Potter Manor

Lightning Keep

Peverell Castle

Gryphon Keep

¼ Hogwarts

Camelot

He stopped before he read the soul mates and handed it to Sirius who read it. He then passed it around and the adults were shocked at what they read. He looked at Harry, "We will tell you when you are older." Harry nodded. Ragnok cleared his throat, "Just so you are aware, vault 730 is where the money that was given to the boy-who-lived goes. I can only guess that you have access to it due to the fact that you are head of the family. As for emancipation, all you have to do is place the rings on your fingers. You can meld them into one ring and then choose which crest to show. Then you have to sign the forms with these blood quills." Both children placed the rings on their right middle fingers and melded them together. Meredith chose the Ambrosius crest and Harry chose the Shafiq crest as those were less well known and less likely to be spotter. They signed the forms. The forms turned gold and the adults let out a sigh of relief. They thanked Ragnok profusely. He then looked at the adults, "I want to offer all of you these cards. These allow stores to take money from your vaults without you having to carry it around." The adults all took one and thanked Ragnok again. They left Gringotts and then stopped to decide what to do first. Lucius came up with an idea. "How about Narcissa and I take the children to get their wardrobes and Severus, you and Sirius can got get their potions supplies." The two men nodded in agreement, neither wanted to go clothing shopping with Narcissa.

Lucius and Narcissa took the children to Madame Malkins who greeted them personally. Lucius smiled charmingly at her. "Draco need the Hogwarts uniform. The other two need those as well wardrobes befitting a Lord and Lady. My wife will help with that. You can send everything to Malfoy Manor." Madame Malkin nodded then had each child stand on a platform. She measured Draco first then turned to Narcissa who smiled. "I think that the robes should be made of acromantula silk, the button up shirts in silk, silk ties, and your nice black slacks." Madame jotted it down and told him he could get down. Then it was Harry's turn. He was measured quickly. Narcissa walked in a circle around him. "The same for the uniforms. Make him four pairs of you finest black slacks, four pairs of black jeans, three pairs of nice khaki pants, two pairs of blue jeans, and five sets of silk pajamas. As for shirts: six silk, button-up shirts in multiple colors; five cotton, button-up shirts in multiple colors; five of your finest wool jumpers in multiple colors; two cashmere jumpers; three silk vests; five everyday robes, three dress robes; two fall cloaks and two winter cloaks lined in minx. I think fir the colors there should be one emerald green shirt at least in every style. At least one black robe in both the everyday and dress robes. Everything else should be a mix of different greens and blues. Keep them in the jewel tones though. Maybe a deep red and maybe a cream as well. Also he will need several belts all of the best quality leather." Madame Malkin nodded and jotted it all down then told Harry to get down. It was Meredith's turn and she was measures. Narcissa smiled at her. "The uniform robes and shirts should be the same and the skirts should be black. I am thinking tight around the butt and then it flares out in light ruffle. We need three pairs of blue jean, six peasant skirts, five skirts in multiple colors that are the same style as the uniform skirts, and three pencil skirts in black, grey, and tan. Three crape peasant blouses, two cotton peasant blouses, three silk button-ups, five silk blouses, three wool jumpers, five cashmere jumpers and five sets of silk pajamas. She needs six dresses in multiple fabrics. I am thinking one in satin, one in crape, two in silk, and two in layers of organza. She will also need two suit: silk underdress and a charmeuse overcoat. Five sets of everyday robes, and three dress robes. She will also need a fall cloak and a winter cloak lined in mix. I thinks shades of blue would be best. Maybe some purples and creams. Maybe a deep green and of course a robe of each in black. She will need a fun belt, maybe one with fringe, and two leather ones. Also some of the nicer out fits should have some lace on them. And they both need several silk and cotton handkerchiefs." Madame jotted it all down and then nodded for Meredith to be lifted down by Lucius. He then paid and the five of them left.

They quickly met up with Sirius and Severus. The adults had just decided to take the children when they heard a man's voice calling Sirius's name. They turned and saw James Potter striding towards them with his wife and son. Severus quickly picked up Harry and tucked his head under his chin and turned into his chest. Narcissa did the same with Meredith and then pulled Draco to stand between her and Severus. Sirius and Lucius pulled out their wads and stepped in front of them with their wand sat their sides. James walked up to them smiling. "It's so good to see you again, but what are you doing with the Malfoy's and Snivellus." Sirius clenched his fist but said nothing. James then noticed the two extra children. "Who are they?" "It's none of your business," Sirius snarled, "We have a tight schedule so please leave us alone." James looked furious at being brushed off but Lily grabbed his arm before he could do something stupid. He glared at the group then stalked away with Lily and Charles following him. Narcissa and Severus set the children down and they all walked to Elyops. They all entered Elyops and the children were allowed to pick one familiar. There was a flash of white and a snowy owl landed on Harry's shoulder. She bit his ear and drew blood. She then licked it and a white glow surrounded them as the familiar bond settled. Draco had a black owl do the same. Meredith walked towards a cat with three tails and a moon on its head. She picked him up and held him in her arms. She was petting him when he bit her finger and they bonded. The owner was shocked but refused payment.

"I will take payment for their accessories and treats but not for the animals. The children are obviously who they were meant to be with." The adults paid while the children decided names. Harry called his owl Hedwig, Draco called his owl Branwenn and Meredith called her cat, Morrigan. The children then turned with puppy dog eyes as they wanted to get their wands.

The group entered Ollivanders and all three children could feel the magic. Ollivander looked at all three in surprise. "You will all need custom wands." The adults looked surprised and confused. "I can see read auras and I can tell that they each need to have a special wands created. Follow me." He led them to the back. "You will each need to choose your wood and cores by what calls to you." Draco went first. He ended up with Blackthorn and Cedar for the woods and dragon heartstring, demiguise hair, and a hippogriff feather for cores. Harry went next, he got cypress and elder for woods and a phoenix feather, basilisk skin, and boomslang venom for cores. Ollivander looked at the feather in surprise. "That phoenix feather is the brother core to You-know-who's wand." This cause the adults to exchange troubled looks but they said nothing. Finally Meredith went. She got rowan and vine as woods and unicorn hair, fairy wings, and a ground up chimera scale for cores. Ollivander nodded when she finished. "The wands will be ready in two hours so come back then." They nodded and left. Meredith yawned, "Uncle Lucius. I'm tired." He picked her up and placed her on his hip and they went to Flourish and Blotts. Severus went to get three sets of the school books. Sirius took Harry to look around. Narcissa took Draco and Lucius carried Meredith. They met up at the front of the store to pay for their purchases. Each grownup had a stack of books for their respective child. They paid and went to get ice cream. They all ordered sundaes and sat down with Meredith in Lucius's lap. They ate slowly and just enjoyed being outside. Narcissa insisted on looking at shoes next so that's what they did. Harry ended up with ten pairs. He had two pairs of dress shoes, three pairs of loafers, two pairs of trainers, and a pair of boots. He also got six ties in different colors and a beautiful leather wallet. Meredith got twenty-five pairs of shoes before they could stop Narcissa. She had three pairs of summer heels, three pairs of winter heels, a pair of boots, two pairs of heeled boots, six pairs of flats, two pairs of trainers, five pairs of sandals, and three pairs of moccasins. She also got three casual purses, two dress purses, ten pairs of earrings, six bracelets, five rings, and eight necklaces.

It was time to go pick up the wands before they knew it. They walked into Ollivanders as the Potters were walking out. James looked furious but said nothing, only sneered. They walked in and Ollivander smiled at them. He pulled out three boxes and set them on the counter. Draco went first. The wand was dark with a dragon carved around it. Harry's wand was light in color with a serpent and phoenix carved on it. Meredith's was a medium color with a celtic tree carved in it. The children thanked him profusely, paid, and left. They walked back the Leaky Cauldron and flooed to Grimmauld place. They arrived to a sparklingly clean house. Kreacher popped in and took their cloaks. "The meals will bes done in fifteen minutes." Sirius dismissed him. "We need to introduce you to my mother." He led them to the portrait of a middle age woman with dark hair. The lady looked over both children and smiled brightly. "Its so nice to have children in the house again. You can call me Auntie." The children nodded and smiled at her. Kreacher called them to dinner. They went to the dining room and sat down. Sirius sat at the head of the table with Harry on his right and Severus on his left. Meredith sat next to Harry with Lucius on her other side. Draco sat next to Severus with Narcissa on his other side. Kreacher brought in the food. They chatted as they ate. He then cleared dinner and brought out dessert. They ate the dessert and then went into the lounge. The children sat on the carpet and started to play. The adults sat on the couches to have a discussion. They had decisions to make. Lucius wanted to be clear that he would be visiting almost every day. He would try to bring Draco with him as often as possible. They decided to start teaching the children. Narcissa would teach Pureblood customs and Traditions and History. Sirius would teach Defense against the Darks Arts, Transfiguration and would share Astronomy with Narcissa. Severus would teach Potions and Herbology. Lucius would teach them politics and business. They also agreed to get a mind healer. This cause a lot of argument until Sirius suggested Ted Tonks. Narcissa immediately agreed. She was hoping to restart communication with her sister. Once that was decided the Malfoys left for home. The rest of the summer was spent in lessons and in play. Harry and Meredith met with Ted Tonks once a week and Narcissa had reconnected with her sister. They took the children to different historical sites on the weekends and so before they knew it, it was time for to go to Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sirius woke up on the morning of September 1st excited and nervous. He was excited that the children would be going to Hogwarts but he was nervous about teaching. He sighed then poke his lover awake. Severus woke and stretched. "Sev, get up we need to wake the children." They got up and got dressed in their teaching robes. They then went across the hall to Harry's room and walked in. Harry and Meredith were curled together in the center of the bed. Severus and Sirius shook them awake and Meredith went to her room to get dressed. They both put on their school robes as they would be flooing directly onto the platform. All four went down to kitchen for breakfast. Kreacher had made a full English breakfast. The children chattered excitedly as they ate. When they finished Sirius shrunk their trunks, thankful they had packed the night before. Kreacher had already taken Severus and Sirius's trunks to Severus's teacher quarters as they were sharing. Sirius picked up Harry and Severus picked up Meredith. Though they had gained some weight and almost an inch each, they were still too small. The group then flooed to the platform. They stepped out and set the children down. They cleaned them off. They helped them find a compartment and put their trunks in the racks for them and unshrunk them.

Sirius gave each of them some money to get some candy. He also handed them a picnic basket with their favorites, that Kreacher had made. They all got off the train to say good-bye. Sirius and Severus had to leave so that they could get settled. They said goodbyes and flooed to Hogwarts right before the Malfoys flooed in. Harry and Meredith walked over to Draco to say hello. They all said good-bye to Lucius and Narcissa and took Draco to their compartment. They sat and chatted as the train pulled away from the platform. They chatted till Draco decided to challenge Harry to a chess game. So Meredith pulled out a book and curled up with Morrigan. They passed the time till midday at which point they pulled out the picnic basket and ate. The food was delicious. An hour later the trolley came around and they got a little bit of everything to share. They were happily working their way through the sweets chatting. when the compartment door slammed open. Standing in the doorway was Cadmon Potter flanked by two other boys. "Well, well, well," he said sneeringly, "if it isn't Malfoy junior. Who are your friends, little Deatheater?" Draco just glared at him. Cadmon then turned to Meredith. "Aren't you a pretty thing. You should come sit with us instead of these losers." Meredith gave him a death glare. "I am perfectly happy sitting with my brother and god brother." Cadmon took a step towards her as if to grab her but Harry and Draco stepped in front protectively. Harry glared, "Get out and take your lackeys with you."

"Do you know who I am?" Cadmon snarled.

"No," Meredith retorted, "Nor do we care."

"I am Cadmon Potter, the boy-who-lived and heir to the house of Potter. These are my best friends, Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom."

Meredith looked unimpressed. Neville muttered to Cadmon pouted then smiled.

"You will be mine soon. I want you and I always get what I want." With that the three boys left. Draco got up and shut the door while Harry comforted Meredith. Draco sat down and pulled her into his lap while Harry cuddled up next to them.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed as Harry nodded. It took a couple more minutes but she finally stopped trembling. They stayed that way until they arrived at the station. They got out, Meredith with Morrigan on her shoulder and Harry and Draco flanking her. They followed Hagrid's voice to the edge of the lake. They got into the boat, Harry and Meredith up front and Draco in the back with a boy who introduced himself as Theodore Nott. The first glimpse of Hogwarts was spectacular. However, the boat ride was over far too soon.

Hagrid led them over to great big doors where they were met by Professor McGonagall. She left them in the entrance hall and disappeared. While she was gone the ghost showed up. McGonagall returned and lead them into the entrance hall. As they walked they could hear one of the girls talking about the ceiling. They clumped up front as the hat began to sing.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffis are true And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

It finished and the sorting began. McGonagall called out names. _Meredith Ambrosius. _She put on the hat. _Well my lady, this is a surprise._ Meredith smiled. _Now where should I put you._ Where ever I belong, she answered. _Very well, better be... __**Slytherin**__._ The sorting continued Neville was placed in Gryffindor. Draco and Theo were placed in Slytherin. Cadmon was placed in Gryffindor and then it was Harry's turn. _Harry Potter_ she called and the hall went silent. Lily was pale and Charles furious. Harry placed the hat on his head. _Well isn't this interesting. I sorted your soul sister earlier. I suppose you want to stay together._ Harry nodded. _Good I was going to place you there anyways. Better be ...__** Slytherin.**_ The was silent in shock. A Potter in Slytherin, this had never happened before. The sorting continued with Ronald Weasley being placed in Gryffindor and finished with Blaise Zambini being sorted into Slytherin. With that the sorting ended and Professor Dumbledore stood up. " Have only four words to say Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!." With that food appeared on the tables. They took a little everything and began to eat. As they ate they introduced themselves. Once the feast was over Dumbledore had a few notices and then it was time to leave.

The first year Slytherins followed the prefects down to the dungeons. They stopped in front of a statue of a snake. "This is the entrance to the common room. The password is parsletongue. A new password will be listed on the bulletin board every few weeks. No on besides a fellow Slytherin is allowed in. No sit down, Professor Snape, our head of house will be here in a moment to talk to you." the prefects sat down with the older students and the first years sat down grouped together. Severus swept in and looked around.

"Welcome back. This is Slytherin house. This house will truly become your family. I warn you now, this house is hated by the rest of the school. As such we have some rules that must be followed. Outside of this common room you show a united front. If you have a problem with a fellow snake you keep it in house. Stay in groups of three or more. You will notice that you whole year will eventually become very close and the larger the group the better. This is for your own safety. If you are going to break the rules, DO NOT GET CAUGHT. If you need help for any reason go to the prefects to upper years. The sixth years are our best bet as the fifth years have O. and the seventh years had N.E. . If it is absolutely necessary you can come to me. During the day I will likely be in my office. If it is at night you may come to my quarters. Ring the bell. It will let me know that you need me and I will get to you as soon as possible. On another note, Slytherin has won the house cup for the last seven years. I would like to keep it. Work hard and make the house proud. Tomorrow morning the prefects will be taking the first years on a tour. That is all I have to say. Have a good night." He waved his hand and the schedules were passed out. They then split. Before they could leave, "Harry, Draco, Meredith, I want to talk to you. Go pick you rooms and beds. Then come back." They nodded and headed up.

Harry and Draco went up to the boys dorms. Theo stood outside a room and smiled when he saw them. "Its a three bed room. If you don't mind I would like to room with you." The boys smiled and shook their heads assuring him that they didn't mind. Meredith went up to the girls dorm. She was saved a bed by Pansy who she had met at the Malfoys' several times over the summer. They had become friends and Meredith was relieved to be rooming with someone who had a basic understanding of her past and therefore wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't there in the mornings sometimes. Their third roommate was Daphne Greengrass. She seemed nice enough but Meredith withheld judgment till she knew her better. Meredith chose the bed nearest the door then went back downstairs. She arrived right before the boys. When all three were there Severus smiled. He led them out of the common room and to his quarters. He told them the password, _Padfoot. _They were to never give it out. He then led them inside. Sirius was already there sitting on the couch looking concerned. "Uncle Sirius," the children cried. He looked up and smiled at them. "I am so glad that all three of you ended up together." Harry smiled, "You aren't mad that we are in Slytherin?"

"Goodness no." The children all smiled in relief. Severus looked down at him in concern. :Love are you alright?"

Sirius sighed. "no".

"What happened?"

"Lily went to the Headmaster so he called me into his office. She was furious we didn't tell them about Harry having magic. She wants to see him. I told her it was up to him and she lost it. She started ranting about how he was a Potter, her son and so she had a right to see him. That then triggered the sorting argument. Dumbledore told her that no resorting allowed till fifth year. She looked like she wanted to argue but stopped herself. Then she asked where he spent the rest of the summer, since it obviously wasn't at the Dursley's . Dumbledore told her that he was staying with me. She then threatened to go to the Ministry to ensure custody of Harry and to gain custody of Meredith. I told her that Lucius did and would have custody of Meredith as he is her godfather and no one is going to give a child to parents who abandoned them to be abused."

"Plus they are emancipated."

"Well that too but I wasn't going to mention that."

Severus nodded, "Good thinking. The longer we can keep them from finding out the better it is."

The children had watched the entire conversation nervously. Severus smiled again.

"We will always protect you." The children smiled looking relieved. "Alright bed time you three." The children nodded and left. All three went to bed.


End file.
